NRL: Warriors expect junior pathways to remain intact under new blueprint

The Warriors under 20s celebrate winning the 2014 Holden Cup grand final over the Brisbane Broncos. Photo/Getty.

The Warriors junior pathways will remain intact under the NRL's proposed whole-of-game blueprint, but concerns linger over recommendations that clubs be prevented from paying or registering contracts for players under the age of 19.

The blueprint for the next decade, drawn up by the NRL's head of game strategy and development Shane Richardson, is designed to improve player welfare and pathways, upgrade and strengthen the second tier and assist in protecting elite players from burnout. The strategy aims to reduce costs for clubs, further grow the game and improve awareness around player welfare.

Under the new plan, the National Youth Competition will be restructured into two state-based under 20s competitions, and the second-tier reserve grade competition (currently the NSW Cup and Queensland Intrust Super Cup) will be upgraded into a Platinum League.
A committee representing the state bodies will help determine the teams who take part in the Platinum League, and uncertainty hangs over the final makeup with some Sydney clubs facing the prospect of merging.

Warriors managing director Jim Doyle says the club will continue to have a reserve grade side in the Platinum League and an under-20s side will join the similarly structured and televised NSW under-20s competition.

"It's still a work in progress and I don't think it will have too much impact at all on our development," said Doyle. "It's anticipated that we'll still play in the NSW Cup. They are then going to change the NYC similar to the NSW Cup.

"We might not be playing against the Broncos 20s, Gold Coast 20s, and Cowboys 20s but we anticipate we'll still be playing against the Bulldogs, Wests Tigers, Penrith, and Manly etc. With it being state-based, it will save costs and teams travelling from Sydney to Gold Coast and Townsville and Brisbane.

"We would still anticipate that Sky [TV] would broadcast it again because they obviously like the content."

While the club's junior pathways remain, Doyle admits the proposed introduction of rules preventing clubs from paying or contracting players under the age of 19 is a major concern.

Under those changes, the game's best young players will be prevented from making their NRL debuts until they are 19, with clubs fearing they could be lured away by rugby or AFL.
Countering those concerns, the blueprint recommends NRL squads increase from 25 to 36 - including six rookies - with rookie contracts to be introduced for the start of the 2018 season.

"That potentially could be an issue for us as a club, it could be issues for lots of clubs if they lose players to other codes," Doyle said.

"You could still have junior players in your squad, but in a rookie-type system. That's what they're looking at, so you can still sign junior players."

Richardson rubbished suggestions there had not been sufficient consultation on the blueprint and said consultation was on-going.

"Further consultation with the RLPA (player's association) and other interested parties will be held before any final decisions are made," he said.

The key recommendations within the NRL's blueprint include:

- Increasing the size of NRL squads from 25 to 36 players - including six rookies
- Restricting players from making their NRL debuts until the year they turn 19. No player to be signed with an agent until he is 17 - and contracts for these players should be for a maximum three-year term
- Restructuring the National Youth Competition into two state-based under-20 competitions (NSW and Queensland)
- Introducing rookie contracts for the start of the 2018 season with each club allowed to sign three rookies each year on two-year contracts
- There will still be two state leagues under the Platinum League banner but the NSW league could see some Sydney-based NRL teams merging. The Warriors will continue to play in the NSW competition
- Easing player welfare by considering additional leave, creating a formal international window over an eight-year period and reducing the number of five-day turnarounds